political influence in 2020 by cultivating a relationship with the then-government minister Alan Tudge

SYDNEY( Reuters)-An Australian government minister will step down from cabinet after an inquiry into abuse allegations against him by a staffer cleared him of misconduct, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday. The inquiry's findings come after Australia's parliament began the year with an apology by political leaders to staff who had suffered abuse, bullying and harassment in parliamentary workplaces.... Two prominent female activists against sexual abuse responded to Morrison's apology

In this Dec 1, 2020, file photo, students walk around the University of New South Wales campus in Sydney, Australia.... " It was really heartbreaking how alone these students were and how vulnerable they are so far from home and feeling this lack of protection from the university," said Sophie McNeill, Australia researcher for Human Rights Watch and the report's author.... " Universities really fear a backlash from Beijing, so rather than discuss these issues openly, they are swept under the c

image copyrightGetty Images image captionA new report says pro-democracy Chinese students fear speaking freely in AustraliaChinese pro-democracy students in Australia experience harassment and fear punishment if they speak out on sensitive issues, a new report says. Human Rights Watch found such students feel surveilled in Australia, leading many to self-censor in classrooms. Academics teaching China courses in the country say they have also felt pressure to censor themselves. China's embassy in

BRITAIN is hotter than Barbados today as temperatures could hit a blistering 33C. But thunderstorms are set to batter large parts of the country-sparking a 11-hour flash flood and lightning warning.... London Northwestern cut speeds on its main line from London Euston, with Chiltern Railways also affected on the London Marylebone to Oxford line, and Northern Rail hit between Hull and Bridlington, East Yorks. Network Rail said: “ Rails expand as they get hotter.... Graham Hunt 16 Jana Drbohlavo